MY THOUGHTS ON THE RELEASE OF THE FBI FILE ON “GENIUS” STEVE JOBS

I could not stop myself from posting my thoughts about the recent news of the release of the FBI file on the Cupertino Mob Boss Steve Jobs. Looking back on all of my experiences with my own Apple products and the mega growth of the Apple Corporation, it confirms a few things and it also confounds me concerning what I have read.

So… back in 1991 the FBI opened an investigation on the man behind the most technological advances in gadget history, and what I have always joked about seems to be a reality. Was Steve Jobs a master manipulator who’s forte was manipulation and mind control, or was he a straight-legged hard working genius?

I think it was a combination of both. Maybe the motivation wasn’t that Mr. Jobs was a manipulating control freak of a mob boss with cult leader traits, even though this is what he appeared to have been. But it was actually due to the Bush Administration considering him for a post in the President’s Export Council. But if the shoe fits…

Steve Jobs was thought of by the FBI to be an individual who was an expert at distorting reality to the advantage of his company. I agree wholeheartedly. I have always wondered how the corporate leader and visionary was able to turn disappointment among followers into blind acceptance, but that is the mark of a great leader, no matter what the motivation was behind it.

I’ve marveled at how successful he was in telling his loyal customers what to think, and how he was able to “tell” you what you really wanted and needed in a smartphone, tablet or computer no matter what the facts were. The biggest example was the unveiling of the first iPad, where during the presentation, he actually had the jewels to show websites with blocked flash content right in the middle of his slide show.

While many people were anticipating a truce between Apple and Adobe over the inclusion of Flash capability in his products, he turned it into a statement. Instead of avoiding displaying website with Flash content, he actually showed sites that lacked graphics, replaced by the pair of dice. I thought he had lost his mind, but by the end of the presentation, onlookers immediately accepted this and jumped on the “Anti-Flash” band wagon without question.

Another great example was the unveiling of the iPhone 4S. There were huge shock waves of disappointment that raged through the country from loyal iPhone followers, but initial sales broke the record books and the iPhone 4S flew off the shelves unlike any smartphone ever released.

That is a testament of influence above and beyond anything I have ever seen. Steve Jobs never backed down or compromised, and chose to ignore the wishes of his customer base. Instead, he made the majority of them immediately change their position and follow him almost blindly. You can’t argue with that level of influence.

What shocked me the most was finding out that he had a high school GPA of 2.6, and was even a former user of illegal drugs. But we all know that Amerca’s greatest leaders in the business world were not the genius types who booked 4.0 GPAs throughout high school and college. To the contrary, there are many high school and college dropouts that achieved the greatest success of any corporate leaders. Just consider him among an elite group of people like Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

Be that as it may, it still makes me shake my head in utter disbelief to read the reports of what the FBI thought of Steve-o’s tactics and practices. You can think what you want of big boss Steve Jobs, but his legacy will continue on far past his death. There may not be another influential leader quite like him within our lifetime.

What were your thoughts or general reaction to the breaking news stories concerning the FBI reports? Does it surprise you? Possibly change your mind about what you thought about Steve Jobs as an individual? Or is it something you knew and accepted all along? Is this what is required to achieve the level of success that he lived?

Post your comments below, and let me know what your take on this hot topic is!

Carlton Flowers
Gadget Underboss

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VERIZON WRACKED WITH LTE OUTAGES WHILE 3G BACKUP NETWORK HEADS FOR ITS DEMISE

Some time ago, Verizon Wireless announced that they were eventually going to drop their 3G network as they made further developments on the new LTE 4G nationwide network. Considering recent 4G outages, I raise a Verizon red flag on this decision. Their customers have good reason to be worried about this plan.

The Verizon 4G LTE network was down Wednesday, December 28th. This marked the third time within the month that an outage had occurred. As much as people depend on smartphones, tablets, and laptops with carrier internet accounts, any type of outages can be highly frustrating.

During the time that the 4G LTE network decided to take an extended coffee break, the 3G network was supposed to be alive and well, ready to jump in and serve the data to the customers like Peyton Manning’s backup. But as the story goes, lots of people reported that they were not able to tap into the trusty backup 3G radio waves.

What was really happening was that the actual smartphones were not successfully switching over from 4G LTE to 3G service. The Galaxy Nexus, Droid RAZR, and other 4G phones had to have the LTE radio manually shut off in order to connect with and receive 3G service. That sounds like a royal pain in the rear, and it should never have been something consumers should have had to do.

But that’s beside the point. Getting back to the topic, here’s something to consider… Verizon is having some significant issues with 4G LTE service dependability. But we all remember back in May of 2011 when Tony Melone, the Verizon official who took charge of the 4G LTE rollout, announced that the company was planning on phasing out 3G service by the end of 2013.

Well I sure hope for the customers sake that Verizon’s 4G LTE network issues are solved before they go dumping the 3G network in 2013. It just makes me glad that I’m an AT&T customer where the 3G network is being upgraded to HSPA+, so whenever I am out off the beaten path, I’ll still have decent data transfer speeds.

It’s also nice to know that I’ll be able to turn off my LTE radio to save the battery from draining when I blaze through 10 Youtube videos all at once. In the future, if you turn off your LTE radio on a Verizon device, you really WILL be saving your battery, because you won’t be doing anything with your phone. LOL. I just made myself laugh.

At any rate, this is definitely an issue that I hope Verizon addresses before the end of 2013. In the meantime, I’ll just stick with AT&T.

Carlton Flowers
3G Defender

Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket 4G Android Phone (AT&T)

The Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket is available right now on Amazon.com for between $179 and $199 with a 2-year contract agreement with AT&T! Pricing depends whether you are getting a new account, adding a line, or upgrading an existing line.

This is the lowest price you will find the Skyrocket, the super capable LTE Android smartphone with the jumbo-sized 4.5″ display.

Click the link or the thumbnail pic to hop to the Amazon Wireless Store and get it now while the price is good!

The Original Samsung Galaxy S II 4G Android Phone (AT&T)

The original Samsung Galaxy S II is available right now on Amazon.com for between $99 and $149 with a 2-year contract agreement with AT&T! Pricing depends whether you are getting a new account, adding a line, or upgrading an existing line.

This is the lowest price you will find the Galaxy S2, the super capable HSPA+ Android smartphone with the optimal 4.3″ display.

Click the link or the thumbnail pic to hop to the Amazon Wireless Store and get it now while the price is still this low!

Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic Touch 4G Android Phone (Sprint)

The Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic Touch 4G Android Phone by Sprint packs all of the features that you want, just like the AT&T version and is now selling with a 2-year plan as low as $79.99 over at Amazon Wireless!

This version of the Galaxy S2 line runs on Sprint’s WiMax Network at blazing speeds. With unlimited data available with your contract, you won’t be a disappointed surfer! Get it now while the price is low!

Samsung Galaxy S2 4G Android Phone (T-Mobile)

Get the Samsung Galaxy S2 4G Android smartphone made for T-Mobile with the large 4.52″ SUPER Amoled PLUS display that packs all of the features you expect with Samsung’s amazing flagship line. Currently, the price of the T-Mobile version is $199 with a 2-year contract.

The T-Mobile version runs on the fastest HSPA+ network at speeds up to 42Mbps! It will certainly get the job done and maximize your surfing experience!

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AT&T SPENDING BIG BUCKS ON AIR AFTER T-MOBILE FLOP

Yes. AT&T just spent a whopping $1.9 billion on thin air. Well, airwaves to be exact. The license for the 700 MHz spectrum that was previously owned by Qualcomm, to be exact. So what does this meant to you AT&T customers, exactly?

Well, for starters, we all know that the T-Mobile acquisition on behalf of AT&T was a resounding failure. Thanks to competitors crying “foul” and the government calling “monopoly”, the deal didn’t go down. That ended up costing AT&T a nice sum of $4 billion in promised damages to T-Mobile just in the case that the merger didn’t go down.

Why did AT&T try to buy T-Mobile? Because they don’t have the bandwidth and infrastructure they need to give us data hogs all we want, and in order to compete with Verizon Wireless and their nationwide 4G LTE network. There’s no way AT&T could grow fast enough to compete with Verizon the old fashioned way.

Now that the deal with T-Mobile has been flushed swiftly down the toilet, AT&T had to look to other means to expand their ability to serve up all of the network demand to meet customer’s surfing needs. The solution was buying up the 700MHz bandwidth range from Qualcomm.

The fact is, you can only jam so much data through the existing licensed AT&T bandwidth range. It’s like reaching the limit in an area where you have more radio stations than what the dial can squeeze in. That’s why they bought up the unused 700MHz spectrum from Qualcomm.

Qualcomm had previously used this bandwidth for their “FLO TV” product that bit the dust. This was a service that was supposed to bring television viewing to smartphones. AT&T will now use this to expand their ability to allow more room for their customers to be able to connect to the net and move data, especially since they are getting close to reaching the limit of what they can provide at the current time.

That’s the simplest explanation that I can come up with. It might not be technically accurate, but you get the picture. If they sat and did nothing, we would have problems in high population areas like New York City where data congestion is a real problem. This will provide immediate relief.

As AT&T scrambles to expand their LTE network, they have to have a good game plan in place to make room for the huge spike in data transfer that will come as a result. When you jump from an average download speed of 1 to 5 Mbps to speeds of over 20 Mbps, that means one thing… people will start using their smartphones to view data heavy video content like never before.

The natural limit to data usage by customers right now is speed. I know that I for one would be watching a lot more Youtube videos and movies on my Samsung Galaxy S2 if the speed was even close to the advertised HSPA+ capability of 14Mbps. Sure, they claim you can surf up to 21Mbps, but that’s not a reality for most areas.

Some of the areas around the country are already running “fake 4G” HSPA+ (it’s really enhanced 3G, or “3.5G”), but it’s not significant. We still don’t have HSPA+ coverage in the Capital City of Missouri. As soon as we do, network usage will spike. If the provider doesn’t have enough bandwidth to meet that demand, download speeds will be choked. That’s why unlimited data for new accounts is no longer a possibility.

I’m one of the lucky ones who has the grandfathered unlimited data plan for my smartphone. But the rest of my family has to live with the 3Gb per month cap. Now that AT&T has purchased an additional range of the spectrum, they can expand without the worry that the network won’t be able to carry the increased load. It’s as simple as that.

Purchasing this additional range will allow AT&T time to continue to develop new ways of jamming more data into the existing network. I think we will see a quantum leap in the future once technology advances to the point that new ways are created to tap into moving more data within the same range of available frequency.

Here’s an excellent example to explain what is going on…

Years ago, we had 33.6 Kbps modems. Next came the 56k modem. We really thought we were doing something great with such amazing data transfer speeds. But at the time, we were tapped out for what amount of data the network could move. That’s when Asynchronous Data Subscriber Line technology took the world by storm.

Instead of moving data over the audible voice range of telephones (remember the loud screeching bleeps an blips you’d hear as your 56k modem would connect?), the ever-so-smart engineers figured out a way to transfer data in a higher frequency range than what they were currently using. That meant you could talk on the phone and surf the internet at the same time, and it wouldn’t disturb voice data transfer.

DSL became the big new thing, and it allowed us to transfer data at speeds of around 1024 Kbps instead of 56k. Talk about a quantum leap! That was a breakthrough which allowed us to move into the era of multimedia data transfer on the internet. In other words, you could download or stream a much higher amount of data than what you could previously.

At the same time, the cable companies figured out that they could also move data over a frequency that did not conflict with the data transfer for cable television. What made it even better was the fact that cable modems could jam more data through the big fat round coaxial wires than DSL. That is still true to this day, and this is why I don’t subscribe to DSL over my cable internet connection.

Once we “tap out” the maximum capabilities for 3G and 4G data transfer, I envision that some genius will figure out a new way to either compress data for higher speeds, or figure out some new breakthrough method of transferring data altogether over the existing network infrastructure. But until that happens, companies like AT&T have to scramble to purchase as much of the available range of frequencies that are licensed by the government to transfer data.

Without getting overly technical, that’s the best way that I can explain it to those that have asked me what this acquisition is all about. Technological advances are moving forward at breakneck speeds, and I believe we will see something huge within the next five years regarding transferring data to your computers, smartphones, and other devices.

In the future, we might be laughing at how we thought we were surfing at such slow speeds that LTE delivers to us today. It’s bound to happen. Even though “experts” say that there is a hard ceiling of what speeds can be forced through the network in the present, they forget to factor in technological advancement into the equation.

It’s kind of funny to me how the AT&T commercials that are now running brag about how instantaneous videos and downloads can be using their new LTE network when they know that the majority of the country cannot access such speeds. In my opinion, they are jumping the gun. Poor folks like us Mid-Missourians might be sadly disappointed when they find that their smartphones can’t transfer big huge videos like they advertise.

But even though they have gotten ahead of themselves with their advertisements that they throw in our faces on a daily basis, I truly believe the best is yet to come. We may arrive at a time in the future when data transfer is instantaneous, and advertising network data transfer speeds will become meaningless to the consumer.

Just my thoughts and my prediction for what the future holds. I think we live in an exciting time indeed.

Are you an expert at bandwidth availability and network data transfer? Here’s your chance to shine. Explain to us all how this really works in the comments section and I might share your insight in a new blog post. Until then, happy surfing!

Carlton Flowers
Forward-Thinking Futurist (and data hog)

Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket 4G Android Phone (AT&T)

The Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket is available right now on Amazon.com for between $179 and $199 with a 2-year contract agreement with AT&T! Pricing depends whether you are getting a new account, adding a line, or upgrading an existing line.

This is the lowest price you will find the Skyrocket, the super capable LTE Android smartphone with the jumbo-sized 4.5″ display.

Click the link or the thumbnail pic to hop to the Amazon Wireless Store and get it now while the price is good!

The Original Samsung Galaxy S II 4G Android Phone (AT&T)

The original Samsung Galaxy S II is available right now on Amazon.com for between $99 and $149 with a 2-year contract agreement with AT&T! Pricing depends whether you are getting a new account, adding a line, or upgrading an existing line.

This is the lowest price you will find the Galaxy S2, the super capable HSPA+ Android smartphone with the optimal 4.3″ display.

Click the link or the thumbnail pic to hop to the Amazon Wireless Store and get it now while the price is still this low!

Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic Touch 4G Android Phone (Sprint)

The Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic Touch 4G Android Phone by Sprint packs all of the features that you want, just like the AT&T version and is now selling with a 2-year plan as low as $79.99 over at Amazon Wireless!

This version of the Galaxy S2 line runs on Sprint’s WiMax Network at blazing speeds. With unlimited data available with your contract, you won’t be a disappointed surfer! Get it now while the price is low!

Samsung Galaxy S2 4G Android Phone (T-Mobile)

Get the Samsung Galaxy S2 4G Android smartphone made for T-Mobile with the large 4.52″ SUPER Amoled PLUS display that packs all of the features you expect with Samsung’s amazing flagship line. Currently, the price of the T-Mobile version is $199 with a 2-year contract.

The T-Mobile version runs on the fastest HSPA+ network at speeds up to 42Mbps! It will certainly get the job done and maximize your surfing experience!

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APPLE VS HTC, ANDROID, AND MORE HOT TOPICS TO GET YOU GOING!

Three months ago I promised to get the yapper going and start the weekly CZ Podcast again. So I’ve been busy! But today, I am so proud to bring you a fresh and exciting (more like raging) CZ Podcast to discuss some of our recent topics that we have been pecking on our keyboards about.

You’ll have to stay with me, because I quickly got off the main topic. I suffer from an extreme case of ADD/HD (actually tested and verified to be “significantly deviant from the norm”) and this is not conducive to staying on point. But all of the rambling you will here is very relevant.

I recorded the podcast an hour ago, and then I got busy. Now I can’t quite remember everything that I was talking about. But one topic that sort of got a little out of control was my rant about Apple products and the corporation itself. I’m not really an “Apple hater” by any means, because I am sitting here using an iPhone 3GS right alongside of my Samsung Galaxy S2 (cue heavenly choir sound). At any rate, this one is unplugged and unedited.

I made a special request for podcast topics, so feel free to post your ideas right here in the comments section after you listen to this edition. It is only 11 minutes in length. I like to stay around the 10-minute mark, that way I possibly have more stuff to yap about on the next podcast and don’t have to scrounge for topics.

Have fun listening to the blog, and I’ll have another fresh one for you soon!

Carlton Flowers
CZ Podcast Man

Play Now:

 Standard Podcast [12:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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GREAT DAY FOR APPLE, SAD DAY FOR CONSUMERS AS ITC HANDS DOWN RULING

This really sickens me. The International Trade Commission has thrown down the gavel on the patent war going on between Apple Corporation and HTC of Taiwan. The ruling? Apple wins. No more imports of HTC products in the US as of April 19th, 2012.

It’s a well-known fact that I despise the patent wars between all of the tech giants, but I especially despise Apple. This decision might have had to be given to Apple for legal reasons, but I’m irked because it hurts consumers. Less competition means less innovation and possibly higher prices as Apple seeks to run everyone else out of business in the tech sector.

Okay, so Apple isn’t the only evil giant out to destroy competition in Communistic fashion. They are all guilty. Microsoft, Motorola (or Google-a-rolla), Google, Samsung, HTC, Nokia, and all the rest. The fighting among these ridiculous tech giants has gone too far and it needs to stop.

Here’s why this decision really chaps my buns…

Apple’s products don’t suit my needs. Period. If they made a product that gave us all the features that Android smartphones have, maybe I wouldn’t be so mad. But they don’t… and they’re not going to any time soon. Instead of staying ahead of the game, they’d rather crank out their improvements and new phones at a snail’s pace. Apple’s win means people lose their right to chose what they want to spend their hard earned money on.

Taking out the chief competitor HTC is a huge blow to the viability and dynamics of the tech market. HTC has been the top-selling tech company in the US when it comes to smartphones, so this is serious a blow. No, I don’t own an HTC device, but I love their products. They make durable, highly functional smartphones jam-packed with features that their consumers love. So if you have been considering buying a new HTC smartphone, you better get one now while you have the chance.

We could be on the verge of seeing a domino-effect. One court ruling like this could mean setting a precedence. This is the win that Apple needed to gain serious momentum on blowing other competitors out of the water. Sad to say, it’s probably not going to stop here. We can only hope that HTC appeals the decision and fights this tooth and nail.

I ranted about this before in my post “Apple Vs HTC Lawsuit – The Elephant In The Middle Of The Room” back in July of 2011. Hit the link and read the story. It doesn’t matter if you are a big Apple fan or not. Even if you are, this will hurt you. Without companies like HTC pushing Apple to continue to stay ahead of the curve with product innovation, this will allow them to rest on their haunches and settle down.

I just read the story that broke on December 19th, 2011 on the Gotta Be Mobile blog site. Hit the link if you want to read all the gory details of the lawsuit and the decision. I’m not going to bore you will the details here. I’d just rather focus on the hideousness of what this means to the consumers. People need to wake up and smell the rotten Apple coffee and realize what this truly means to our smartphone buying future.

I think HTC should employ Dr. Dre again, the creator of “Beats Audio” (the company that HTC bought majority ownership of) to fight this. Maybe Dr. Dre can round up the NWA Posse and write a few gangsta rap songs to diss Apple for being the greedy technology mongers that they are. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg should be all over this. They can handle it “battle style” over the airwaves like they did in the good ole days with their rap artist enemies.

Who knows… maybe they should even grab Ice Cube to remake his song “bow down” and start a Compton vs Cupertino lyrical war old-school style.

I think this stinks. It wreaks of anti-competition. If this continues and Apple decimates all of our choices, I’ll go back to using an old brick phone with a black-and-white screen before I buy another fragile frumpy old Apple iPhone. It may take Apple another decade to come to grips with the fact that people like me don’t want their microscopic 3.5″ displays and “take-it-or-leave-it” cavalier attitude towards their customers.

Is it just me, or does this ruffle your fruity feathers? Apple fans and Android fans, I’d sure like to hear your reaction!

Carlton Flowers
Trust-Busting Tech Blogger

GET A SAMSUNG GALAXY S II SMARTPHONE AT AMAZON BEFORE APPLE RUNS THEM OUT OF NORTH AMERICA!

Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket 4G Android Phone (AT&T)

The Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket is available right now on Amazon.com for between $179 and $199 with a 2-year contract agreement with AT&T! Pricing depends whether you are getting a new account, adding a line, or upgrading an existing line.

This is the lowest price you will find the Skyrocket, the super capable LTE Android smartphone with the jumbo-sized 4.5″ display.

Click the link or the thumbnail pic to hop to the Amazon Wireless Store and get it now while the price is good!

The Original Samsung Galaxy S II 4G Android Phone (AT&T)

The original Samsung Galaxy S II is available right now on Amazon.com for between $99 and $149 with a 2-year contract agreement with AT&T! Pricing depends whether you are getting a new account, adding a line, or upgrading an existing line.

This is the lowest price you will find the Galaxy S2, the super capable HSPA+ Android smartphone with the optimal 4.3″ display.

Click the link or the thumbnail pic to hop to the Amazon Wireless Store and get it now while the price is still this low!

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OF FLASH AND MOBILE DEVICES… A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

Getting back on the topic of the so-called demise of Mobile Flash, I had to share this rather lengthy but intriguing comment that I received from fellow CZ Blog member Monty Python. Yes, Monty Python himself! Okay so maybe CZ Monty isn’t the “full Monty”, but hey, we’ll enjoy his handle all the same.

What sparked all of this discussion was my bringing up the fact that Adobe Flash support will not just suddenly disappear overnight. There was a lot of “celebration” among the Apple community when the original announcement was made, and I am led to believe that many Flashless iPhone fans thought all of my glorious flash content would erased from my Android browser the day after.

That just isn’t the case. I’m still enjoying 3 websites that have extremely high utility to me that are all Flash-based, and I will probably be using them for a long time before an HTML5 version replaces them. That’s where my guest poster seems to be able to shed more light.

With no corrections or fact-checking, I want to share his insight on this issue as-is. This should spark some great discussion! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did when he originally posted the comment on the”My Official Thoughts On The Death Of Flash For Mobile” blog page.

With no further adieu, here’s Monty Python on Flash!

———————

I’d like to clarify some things about FLASH on Mobiles and especially for both Android and RIM devices. RIM has even announced that they are integrating a FLASH player right into QNX and it’s Browser. Not just for Playbook, but for upcoming BB phones running QNX too! (Samsung, because Bada OS is based on the same RTOS kernel as QNX, will also integrate Flash player into their browser as well)

As for Android? FLASH Player is also being built into their mobile browser, as it was in Chrome Browser. Because Google+, YouTube, Picasa, etc are running FLASH+ HTML5. Now Google is in a strategic partnership with Adobe to put both HTML5 and FLASH together for online content for platform wide accessibility. So Flash isn’t so dead afterall. It’s a renaming ploy to shift attention away from it’s past bad reputation traits and bring it’s best features out in the Open… AIR!

Adobe makes their money by selling Developer Tools!!! ….not off developing Free Flash players as… PLUGINS. Anyone can make a stand alone FLASH player free of licensing. Because it’s above all an OPEN platform. Only the content creation tools are Proprietary. The Actionscript (C and C++ like language) is as open to use as C++ and Objective C are. The main division between platforms (like iOS, QNX, Android) is in the code base (language) they use. That’s where Adobe’s Tools shine the Brightest. In transcoding content from one code base to another w/o lifting a finger to do it, in their compiler tools.

For instance, at Adobe Max Unreal Engine 3 game UT3, was shown running on the Web in a Flash Player at 1080p w/ better graphics than the original for PC’s, Xbox and PS3. How did they do that? Simple….. the game itself is still in C++, but because Adobe is so good and experienced at building great Tools, they used their new tool called Alchemy to transcode UT3 C++ commands into Actionscript’s newest 3D Molehill API’s. The game can now run in a FLASH container streamed over the web, rather than being installed on a desktop!

This is a huge breakthrough for 3D gaming (including mobile gaming), but with smaller content games that can be streamed or installed as AIR Apps across all mobile platforms (but includes Desktops too). It brings Desktop Performance to Internet based GAMING, but creates a new dilemma on how to differentiate Desktop Platform capabilities from that on mobile platforms, that rely on less GPU power, less memory, less speed of web access, etc.

But I don’t think we’ll be seeing UT3 type games running in FLASH for a while anyway. But you can expect other major developers to begin to use Alchemy to port other game engines to FLASH’s Actionscript. This is Great News for the future of FLASH. Because it signals the Revolution of FLASH from a plugin state (that has to be approved by browser makers on all platforms), to being integrated into programs that run within Apps or Programs. Adobe now has AIR and it’s FLEX Browser (Flash Player) running on all Platforms both Desktop and Mobiles. AIR is the new name for FLASH. So now FLASH has now been Trojan Horse’d into iOS… right under Steve Jobs’s nose and over his dead body! lol…. sorry for being elated over this, but the iDiot and his ultra self religious followers had it coming to them!

So what does this all mean to us the Real Consumer Public? How will this all affect us in the future? Is it really the end of FLASH on the Web? Answer: Absolutely NOT!!! ….this is just the beginning and Adobe using some misdirection tactics (Sun Tsu – Chinese Art of War) to throw the haters off track and make them think they’ve won! haha…… ;-P

When in actuality, it’s not FLASH (Actionscript) that’s being killed and it’s not Adobe doing the killing. It’s the Proprietary (closed) Operating System and Browser Makers that are killing…… PLUGINS! ……so therefore the smart ones are building support (a FLASH Player) right into their Browsers, while the idiotic and moronic OS makers, can’t kill our ability to install Programs (3rd party Apps or Browser installs) on our own hardware and OS (like CrApple and Microcrotchrot are trying to control and do), that we pay for in the first place. Because then they would be killing themselves and their own ability to install programs!!! …..and the really… really… smart browser makers and OS makers are and will be building FLASH support right into their products, like Chrome OS, Chrome Browser, Android and RIM QNX Browser!!! DD

Adobe is bringing the weapons (tools) to Win this War…. it’s up to us to support them by using, viewing and playing all this future FLASH content!!!

Monty Python

————————–

I must say that Monty is just about as entertaining as his “other brother Monty”, the classic comedian! Thank you Mr. Python for sharing your thoughts and insight on this topic, and please do feel free to share again with the CZ Blog community in the future!

Carlton Flowers
CZ – The Holy Grail Of Tech Blogs

And now… a special word from our sponsors!

Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket 4G Android Phone (AT&T)

The Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket is available right now on Amazon.com for between $179 and $199 with a 2-year contract agreement with AT&T! Pricing depends whether you are getting a new account, adding a line, or upgrading an existing line.

This is the lowest price you will find the Skyrocket, the super capable LTE Android smartphone with the jumbo-sized 4.5″ display.

Click the link or the thumbnail pic to hop to the Amazon Wireless Store and get it now while the price is good!

The Original Samsung Galaxy S II 4G Android Phone (AT&T)

The original Samsung Galaxy S II is available right now on Amazon.com for between $129 and $149 with a 2-year contract agreement with AT&T! Pricing depends whether you are getting a new account, adding a line, or upgrading an existing line.

This is the lowest price you will find the Galaxy S2, the super capable HSPA+ Android smartphone with the optimal 4.3″ display.

Click the link or the thumbnail pic to hop to the Amazon Wireless Store and get it now while the price is still this low!

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SCANNER BEWARE – RECENT RISE IN SCAM QR CODES CALLS FOR CAUTION

Earlier this summer, I wrote about how QR Codes would soon revolutionize small business marketing. The use of QR codes in business is on the rise, and with that growth comes the opportunity for scam artists to take advantage of people’s newly piqued interest.

If you didn’t already know, a “QR Code” is simply a “quick response” code that works very similar to a barcode. It’s like the next-generation barcode graphic with a square shape containing patterns made with smaller squares. When using a QR code reader with a smartphone, you can scan the box to automatically take you to a website that contains coupons, discounts, special deals, or more information about the item being advertised.

Recently, there have been several reports of “digital scammers” creating QR codes for malicious purposes. When you scan a QR code made by these unscrupulous individuals, you can end up loading malware into your phone. The purpose of the malware is to copy your personal information for illegal use.

One of the common ways that the scam is being pulled is to apply a bogus QR code sticker on top of a legitimate QR code on an existing advertisement. When an individual sees the code, they trust the identity of the business and unknowingly scan the box with their smartphone. You should look for suspicious modifications on posters, signs, and advertisements before scanning to prevent being hijacked.

Remember that your smartphone can possibly contain your home address, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, and other private information that identity thieves are targeting. When scanning QR codes, play it safe. Download a QR code app that allows you to preview the site. Also, make sure you trust the company that is displaying the code, and look for stickers applied over existing codes.

With every new technology comes a new way to cheat. Be educated and aware, and spread the word to your friends and family.

Carlton Flowers
Cyber Safety Patrol

For more information on QR Codes and apps, check out this great post by my friend Wayne Sutton that he wrote in 2010. Hit the link below and jump to the article on the Social Wayne website.

How To Find A Free QR Code Reader For iPhone & Android

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CYBER MONDAY ALERT! TIME TO GET YOUR SHOPPIN’ GROOVE ON

Black Friday has come and gone and Cyber Monday has already started. If your town is anything like ours, you probably have had some crazy incidents that made the front pages and the six o’clock news on Friday. I had lots of friends and family members participate in the madness, but I chose to stay at home and find deals online.

I bought two Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphones at one cent for my college kids, and a Samsung Galaxy Skyrocket for my lovely wife at the same price, and that’s about all the Black Friday shopping I got done. But Cyber Monday is already going on, and you better believe I’ll be scanning the Amazon horizon for some hard-to-refuse deals.

As much as Walmart has overtaken the world of retail, Amazon has done the same thing for online shopping. Any business who really wants to make a big splash nationwide without breaking the bank with a million-dollar advertisement campaign now turns to Amazon. They have done for businesses what eBay did for individuals who make a living out of selling items from their homes.

The way eBay accomplished this was to provide a worldwide audience for anyone wishing to display their stuff. eBay helped me to sell recycled computer parts and surplus equipment all over the world. Amazon has created a similar environment, and the end result is that consumers don’t have to go anywhere else online to find the best deals. So many businesses are now participating in the Amazon selling scene that we consumers are practically guaranteed the best prices for just about anything we want. That’s why Amazon should be on your Cyber Monday shopping to-do list.

Of course I am more into electronics than anything else, so items like the 40″ Tru Motion 1080p LED LCD HDTV for only $499 really catch my eye. But there’s just so much good stuff, I can’t stop digging through all the deals! Take for instance, the Intex Raised Downy Queen Air Bed for $49.99 is practically a steal. Sure, I don’t need it right now, but I sure wouldn’t want to pay the full price later on down the road for this item.

Or how about the way Amazon teases you with the “Upcoming Deals” that have a big question mark, a few hints, and a countdown timer to when the item will be revealed? They are practically controlling me like they have a remote to my brain! This should be illegal, if you ask me.

If you get me started on the special deals on toys, I won’t stop. There’s great stuff on Amazon toy & hobby-wise. Good example… you know when you visit the mall and see the kiosk with all the toy remote control helicopters, and the attendants are flying them around to entice people to buy? You can get practically all of those helicopters on Amazon right here. Check out the helicopter page and you will be drooling!

Here’s another nice thing about Amazon… when you buy big stuff, like the Troy-Bilt TB154 9-Inch 6.5 Amp Electric Garden Cultivator/Tiller for $189, you not only get the best price around but you get it shipped to your doorstep free of charge. No wasting gas, no borrowing the neighbor’s pickup truck. Now that’s my kind of shopping.

I’m a regular Amazon shopper and I have been one for quite some time. I buy everything from iPhone parts to repair broken screens, computer accessories, ink for my inkjet printer at roughly 75% less than what it costs me in Staples, hand tools, headphones, MP3 players, magazines, eBooks, music tracks, movies, video games, you name it. But now that it is Christmas time, I’m going nuts! Yes, I will admit it… I love to buy stuff, and yes, I get super-psyched when I find great deals on Amazon.

Well anyhow, I just thought I’d ramble on a bit about my penchant for reckless shopping on the Internet to feed my adrenaline addiction. Okay maybe that was exaggerated a bit, but I wanted to add some dramatic effect so you can feel just how excited I get.

Now go and click on the link or the picture below and visit Amazon to buy something. Do your Christmas shopping. Buy something for yourself just to make you happy. Just shop. And have fun. The economy of this country is depending on you!

Carlton Flowers
Amazonoholic Shopper

Get your shoppin’ groove on now! Click the banner and jump on the deals!

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SOCIAL MEDIA MONITORING WITH TWEETGRID

Technology has really changed the way people share their thoughts, opinions, and experiences about businesses. Thanks to social media websites like Twitter and Facebook, a company’s positive image can be bolstered or destroyed overnight.

Those who take the power of social media communities seriously allow themselves the ability to steer through the minefield of public opinion and continue with great success. But companies who chose to ignore the new paradigm we have experienced for the past several years are destined to hit mine and fail.

Reputation monitoring is the big new thing in the world of business today. Community relations now takes place online… in real time… and there’s a secret weapon you can use absolutely free of charge called TweetGrid that will allow you to keep track of what people are saying about your brand as it is happening.

According to Twitter.com, there were 140 million Tweets posted just last month. You better believe that a small but significant fraction of those little messages posted on the hottest micro blogging social community board were from people expressing their thoughts, feelings, or experiences about a business product or service.

Now then… considering the massive amount of traffic pulsing through Twitter each and every day, do you think it would be worth monitoring the site for any instances where your brand is being talked about? Would you like to know when someone says something positive? Or perhaps be in-the-know when someone says something negative about their experience with your business so that you could have the opportunity to corral the unhappy customer and show them that you truly care?

I should hope that you do!

That’s where TweetGrid comes into play. All you have to do is launch the website and set up as many grids that you need in order to monitor what is being said about your business. Pick a few keywords that you think people would use for your business, enter each word into a grid, hit the <enter> button, and there you have it. Each and every time someone makes mention of one of your keywords, it will pop into TweetGrid in real time.

The key here would be to test as many keywords as you possibly can. If there are variations of the names of your business, enter them all. You could even enter common misspellings of your business name. The more the better. The bigger the population of people that frequent your business, the more chances there could be for people to talk up your brand.

If you own a restaurant or a service-related business, you might be surprised at how many people are commenting about your establishment on Twitter. People tend to Tweet a lot about the service they receive, and the quality of food at restaurants, for example. Your goal should be to reinforce and reward the positive comments, and transform the negative comments into good customer service buzz.

Throwing a “thank you” out for positive comments is a no-brainer. But what do you do when an individual says something critical or negative about your business or service? Is it possible to transform such an occurrence into something that could end up building up your reputation?

You bet it is!

If a customer tweets something that doesn’t put you in a positive light, your immediate response and offer to remedy the situation could end up transforming that unhappy person into a happy camper. At worst case, even if they are not ultimately satisfied, more people will trust you and take a chance because they will see that you care.

Simply showing that you care enough to respond is one of the best ways that you can bolster your business’s reputation. However, it goes without saying that you would need to have an actual Twitter account in order to post responses to mentions of your brand, so a little bit of research on how to get started using Twitter and knowing the best way to share your online presence would be in order.

As a side note, most businesses actively posting to Twitter have absolutely no clue as to what to post to be most effective in their marketing efforts. A lot of careless business owners “spam” the Twitter timeline with constant ads, and never interact with others in the community. That is a big mistake. Even if your only activity on Twitter was to respond to people posting about your brand, you would be leaps and bounds ahead of the majority of business Twitterers.

Make the decision now to start monitoring your brand on Twitter and take charge of what your customers reactions are. Turn every situation into a reputation-building opportunity, and watch your business grow leaps and bounds!

Do you have ideas on how to use sites like TweetGrid to better your social media monitoring efforts? Do you have a question about the strategies mentioned in this article? Share them in the comments section below!

Carlton Flowers
Marketing Strategist

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POSTAL JIM ON THE EVOLUTION & FUTURE OF APPLE

I’ve written about Apple and its long journey from the “little guy” to its current status of “gigantic Walmart-esque tech beast”. But Postal Jim really put it down on the comment he made referencing the original “Pre-Release Rumors & The iPhone 4S Wall Street Flop” blog post back on October 7th, 2011.

I’ve got to follow up Jim’s thoughts with the comments made by fellow CZ Blogger Matt M, who equally had some great stuff to share. Matt threw down with his techno-comments equally as well! With that, here’s what the gang had to say… enjoy!

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Does Apple care about what anyone thinks anymore? This release, and the record setting response to it, should drive home that point emphatically.

If they can delay a launch only to come out with changes that barely bring them up to where technology was six months ago, and still set records for units sold, what can we say?

Granted, the camera on this phone is head and shoulders above anything out there now, or maybe ever. But, exactly how much of a camera do we really need on a phone? Once we hit 5 MP and HD, is there a need to go further. I mean, there are 5 MP cameras that blow away 8 MP. The more pixels do not necessarily mean a better picture. The use of the pixels is where the difference lies.

Apple can rest on its laurels and continue to just merely keep up with the Jones’s and remain a superpower due to the cult following they have created. These people, for the most part, would buy a Lego phone with the Apple logo, just because it’s an Apple. That may be a SLIGHT exaggeration, but you get my point.

One commercial, with one glimpse of the new product, a catchy ditty, and the high and mighty logo is all that is needed to open the flood gates of the Apple Nation.

I still believe Apple will be cutting edge in regards to some things in the future. They allegedly have hundreds of engineers delving into what lies ahead for Apple. But even if the lag behind HTC, Samsung, and the like, the customer base has been established and the sales will still be there.

What else is left to dominate? They reinvented the mobile phone. Took it to a level of science fiction, when looking back at my first grey brick of a cellular phone. Then music site such as Rhapsody, Napster and the like were brought to their knees. iTunes, despite the outcry from the recording industry, reinvented the way we buy and listen to music. When was the last time you went to a music store (do they still have those) and purchased a CD, cassette, album, or 8-track (did I just date myself?)

Apple TV seems to be the next target for this group. Phones are doing about as much as they can without becoming more massive and even bigger power hogs. The mobile TV market seems to be the wave on the horizon. Yes, there are several outlets to watch TV and movies on your mobile device. There were as many for music before iTunes, and some still remain. But Apple has shown their ability to tweak something into a innovative, must-have avenue of entertainment. And once it has the Apple name behind it, it will be the standard by which all other outlets will be measured.

So the way I see it, Apple can put a logo on a square wheel and it will sell. They wouldn’t surprise me if the reinvented the wheel either. Sad but true. You can compare Apples to Androids upside down and backwards but Apple will remain the trend setter for years to come for their loyalist, and many others.

Status quo also was reinvented by the late Steve Jobs.

Postal Jim

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The Matt M Response

This is certainly true, and it saddens me. I’ve grown up with apple. My dad’s been an Apple guy ever since the 80’s, and he’s shared that passion with me over the years. I can remember sitting down with him and watching Steve Jobs give his keynote addresses, announcing the iPod, the flatscreen iMac, the PowerMac G5, the Intel Macs, and of course the iPhone.

During all those formative years there was always a certain paradigm with Apple and the rest of the electronics industry: Apple was the underdog, the good guy, the company with superior technology unjustly overlooked by the mass of blind consumers consuming their Micro$oft products. Only in the last couple of years, my junior and senior years of college, did I take a step back from my Apple mania. This was mostly because I had bigger things to worry about, and I simply lost touch with the lastest and greatest from Apple.

Then I started researching what kind of phone I wanted to get with my September upgrade, and I started to dig, to research, and I started to wonder if these iPhones were really the best of the best. I finally decided I liked the Android platform better, and decided to get the Galaxy S II.

All that to say, all the reading and research I’ve done has brought me to a frightening realization: Apple is becoming Microsoft. They’re king of the industry at last, and they know it. They no longer have to innovate; people buy iPhones because iPhones are the thing to buy. It’s the end of an era.

Matt M

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Boys & girls, that’s what I call some dadburn good writing. I couldn’t agree more with both Postal Jim and Matt M. Big thanks to both of them for for sharing their thoughts and insight. This is what makes the CZ Blog awesome!

Carlton Flowers
CZ Blog Commentor Fan

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